1
12
1
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/87f88291b83ac519bcd902c793fd93f6.pdf
fccd3431f2272db0ae0479e5baf888ba
PDF Text
Text
Defenseless but Fighting: A Personal Battle with PFAS and Infertility
PFAS is a group of chemicals known scientifically as perfluoroalkyl substances. Even
more concerning, according to the CDC, is there are more than 9,000 different types. These
include PFAS, PFOS, PFOA, and others. PFAS chemicals are incredibly stable both chemically
and thermally. These are forever chemicals, meaning they bio-accumulate, bio-magnify, and will
not degrade. These substances are in everything from carpet, furniture, camping gear, makeup,
non-stick cookware, firefighting foams, fabric, and firefighting gear. These chemicals are in
every living organism and virtually every body of water. As a 14-year Fire Lieutenant, I have
been heavily exposed to PFAS. Here is my story.
In May 2020, my wife and I thought our dream of having a family was about to come to fruition.
A short time later, we quickly realized that wasn’t the case. My wife woke me in the middle of
the night, stating that she had intense abdominal pain, severe cramping, and heavy bleeding. She
was 10 days late, but never showed a positive pregnancy test. She informed me she thought she
was having a miscarriage. Unfortunately, all this was taking place during a global pandemic. We
immediately called my wife’s OB to be told that they weren’t accepting patients. After many
phone calls, her doctor finally agreed to see her. Initially, the focus was on my wife. After many
invasive and humiliating tests, we were surprised to learn that no abnormalities were found. We
never found out whether or not she had a miscarriage. The focus quickly turned to me. I
immediately referred to EVMS, where multiple blood tests and semen analyses were ordered.
Ultimately the results from those tests were heartbreaking. They found no sperm and noted
abnormal hormone test results. What followed still seems like a blur.
First, there was a brain MRI. The results from the brain MRI came back and showed a tiny
benign tumor on my pituitary gland. The tumor was ultimately ruled out as an issue and deemed
not a concern — next, more rounds of bloodwork. Then, genetic testing is followed by more
physical exams. No abnormalities were noted during my genetic testing, and no deletions were
reported from my chromosomes. I then underwent hormone therapy via Clomid to increase my
testosterone. I’m still recovering from what Clomid did to my body. I seemingly gained 60lbs
overnight and always felt like I wanted to crawl out of my skin. My urologist then suggested
doing a testicular biopsy. The testicular biopsy was scheduled for December 3, 2020. That
biopsy would serve two functions, to check for testicular cancer and look for any sperm residing
in my testicles. Unfortunately, again the results were not what we hoped. While they found no
cancer, they also found no sperm. They diagnosed me with Sertoli-Cell Only Syndrome, NonObstructive Azoospermia with an unknown cause.
Following that procedure, my wife and I discussed getting a second opinion at VCU Health. Our
initial consultation was with Dr. Smith-Harrison in January 2021. He felt that he might still find
sperm by doing a procedure called Microsurgical Testicular Sperm Extraction (micro-TESE).
Following that consultation, I was placed on chemo. The goal of chemo was to control hormones
my body was overproducing, specifically Estradiol. Chemo was single handily one of the worst
experiences of my life. To this day, I deal with random bouts of hives, forgetfulness (chemobrain), and chemo rash. March 30, 2021, I had the micro-TESE surgery, and once again, the
results were negative. While heartbroken and frustrated, my wife and I vowed to press forward.
Dr. Smith- Harrison referred us to VCU endocrinology. My first appointment with Dr. Madan
�Defenseless but Fighting: A Personal Battle with PFAS and Infertility
was on April 20, 2021. The initial meeting again involved more blood work. The blood work
was for thyroid, hemoglobin, and additional hormone testing. No abnormalities were noted. In
May 2021, I was placed on testosterone replacement therapy. One definite is I will have to be
frequently screened for testicular cancer for the rest of my life. The testicular cancer screening
will occur twice a year. By all accounts, Sertoli Cell Only Syndrome is the precursor to testicular
cancer. Having NOA is in 5% of males in the world. Having NOA along with Sertoli Cell Only
Syndrome resides in 1% of males globally. Have Sertoli Cell Only Syndrome and NOA with an
unknown etiology only occurs in 0.5% of all males globally.
At the end of May 2021, I received a small piece of information that was significant. My liver
enzymes were shit. The results indicated borderline non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. As a
curious person, I went back in my records to see if the result replicated or if it was just due to the
chemo. Come to find out, the first poor liver enzyme test I received was in 2019! Unfortunately,
I never heard a word about looking into it. In June of 2021, I participated in the 2021 National
Firefighter Cancer Symposium when Dr. Angela Slitt began to present. A few minutes into her
presentation, a slide detailed the relationship between liver enzymes and PFAS. At that moment,
a light bulb clicked. I rushed to my computer and immediately sent a screenshot of the slide to
VCU with my liver enzyme report attached. Both the doctors noted the significance of the
findings and are actively researching.
I received two more vital pieces of information in June. First, Dr. Graham Peaslee notified us my
2018 gear tested positive for PFAS. My station wear did not. However, it did contain brominated
flame retardants (banned since 2004) and Benzene, a known carcinogen. The combination of
Brominated FR and Benzene mirrors the effects of PFAS on the human body. Unfortunately, for
my testicles, they were given a high dose of toxic chemicals for 33% of the year, every year, for
14 years. Let that sink in. Now one more test to go…PFAS. This test will not confirm whether or
not PFAS is in my blood; we already know it’s there. This test will indicate how much. On June
26, 2021 at 0530 in the morning I received the results. Keep in mind there are 9252 PFAS. I was
tested on 6. I popped positive on 4. The highest were PFOS and PFHxS.
It is important to note; I have kept two pieces of information out. One question asked at EVMS,
Urology of Virginia, VCU Urology, and VCU Endocrinology was whether or not I have been
exposed to any toxic chemicals. The answer I provided was yes. This question alone started us
down a rabbit hole my family never imagined. We began researching firefighter fertility,
firefighter endocrine issues, and firefighter testicular cancer. That research led me to have
conversations with Diane and Lt. Paul Cotter (who is mentioned in a NY Times article), Captain
Sean Mitchell from Nantucket Fire (IAFF Resolution 28), IAFF President Ed Kelly, Dr. Graham
Peaslee of Notre Dame, Lt. Neal Sinatro from West Hartford, Ct, Dr. Madan at Virginia
Commonwealth University, and Dr. Smith- Harrison at Virginia Commonwealth University
regarding firefighter fertility research. I have reached out to many others in hopes of finding
answers and getting the word out. In a profession where we encounter many hazards, we should
not worry about the consequences of donning our turnout gear and putting on our station
uniforms laced with chemicals. The second piece of information is a report from Dupont
scientists. Lewis (2005) stated, “Beginning in 1992, scientists began to publish papers addressing
how PFOA causes testicular tumors and other harmful effects on the male reproductive tract.
First, they found that PFOA increases blood levels of Estradiol in male rats” (P. 29). Scientists
�Defenseless but Fighting: A Personal Battle with PFAS and Infertility
also found males who have been exposed to PFOA and PFAS having difficulty regulating
testosterone. Consequently, my body has yet to regulate both of these hormones, verified with
blood testing, Clomid, and chemo (Lewis, 2005).
As a society, we must sound the alarm. Our blind trust in chemical companies and the EPA has
led to arguably one of the worst environmental catastrophes known to humankind. PFAS is in
everything, everyone, and has polluted every one of our waterways. Only recently has this began
to garner attention. In June 2021, articles have been released detailing PFAS is in newborns,
every citizen of the US, sparkling water, fish, makeup, and our waterways. We must hold the
companies that have polluted our country responsible. Or this story will become all too familiar.
Folks, we need to be better. Go to the DOCTOR! Trust me; I was that guy who didn’t want to
go. I thought it was all BS, and I was fine. I wasn’t okay. I don’t know who out there needs to
read this. But trust me, there is no shame. Talk about it. Write about it. Just get it off your chest.
You are not alone.
One Last thing, Our dream of having a family is still very much alive. We are actively navigating
this next chapter and look forward to what the future has in store.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Living with PFAS Interviews
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Devasto, Danielle
Description
An account of the resource
The Living with PFAS interviews were recorded during 2021 to gather the personal stories of individuals impacted by PFAS contamination. PFAS, or per- and polyflourinated substances, are a group of chemicals used to make coatings and products resistant to heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. These products include clothing, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, and heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces. They are considered "forever chemicals" in that they do not break down in the environment, can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources, and they build up in fish, wildlife, and in the human body. Studies have shown that exposure to large amounts of PFAS may affect growth and development, reproduction, thyroid function, the immune system, and may injure the liver. More research is needed to assess the full health effects of exposure to PFAS.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2021
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Living with PFAS (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
In copyright
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history
Personal narrative
PFAs (Perfluorinated chemicals)
Groundwater--Pollution
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-11
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
video/mp4
application/pdf
audio/mp3
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Motion Picture
Text
Sound
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
PFAS0014
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Goodman, Bryan
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2021-06-17
Title
A name given to the resource
Defenseless but Fighting: A Personal Battle with PFAS and Infertility
Description
An account of the resource
Personal essay by Bryan Goodman discussing the impact of PFAS on his family and fertility.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Personal narrative
PFAs (Perfluorinated chemicals)
Groundwater--Pollution
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Living with PFAS (project)
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng